Vaping trend draws entrepreneurs

Thomas' store offers a wide range of e-cigarette products and more than 200 flavors, from traditional tobacco to fruits and desserts, with varying amounts of nicotine. At Unique Vapors, an e-cigarette and the most common accessories—two batteries, two flavor tanks, a charger, case and 30 milliliters of flavored juice—can cost $74–$103.

"This is an alternative to smoking, outside of patches and gum, that allows people to get the oral fixation," he said. "With an electronic cigarette, you're still holding something, you still get the nicotine and you still get that sensation of inhaling and exhaling vapor."

As vaping grows, businesses are working to keep abreast of the trend and adjust rules and policies accordingly. Dell Inc. in Round Rock is one area business that does not allow smoking on company property, first banning tobacco products in 2008. The company extended its policy to ban electronic cigarettes in 2012.

"Dell extended its policy to include e-cigarettes because nicotine is addictive in any form, and e-cigarettes look very similar to regular cigarettes, making it harder for Dell to monitor employee cigarette use," said David Frink, Dell's marketing director for corporate affairs. "Vapor emitted from e-cigarettes could be an annoyance to nonsmoking employees, and there may be environmental and/or practical issues regarding the disposal."

The Williamson County Commissioners Court voted Feb. 4 to prohibit the use of e-cigarettes on county property, and Travis County implemented a similar ban in April 2013.

While e-cigarette manufacturers claim the devices contain no harmful chemicals such as tar and methanol, no official studies have been published about the possible effects of vaping. The American Lung Association is cautioning users to be careful and calling for oversight of the e-cigarette market by the United States Food and Drug Administration as some early studies by the FDA have found ingredients commonly used in antifreeze in some e-cigarette products.

"[The ALA] is very concerned about the potential public health impact of e-cigarettes," said Erika Sward, ALA's vice president of national advocacy. "The bottom line is there's so much we don't know about e-cigarettes."

Thomas, however, does not see the claims as a damper to his business. With no official evidence regarding the possible harm of vaping, he feels confident people will continue to choose e-cigarettes as a better option to tobacco use.

"People who smoke are going to smoke, and [smokers might] view this as a healthier alternative," he said.